KEY WEST GALLERY GUIDE

The Studios of Key West’s Ashe Street Residency Cottages, pictured above and left, will be included on the Artist Studio Tours. The selfguided tour showcases the homes and studios of eight local and national artists.

Hop on a bike or carpool with a friend and spend an art-filled afternoon exploring the homes and studios of wonderful artists on Saturday, March 10, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Produced by The Studios of Key West, the annual Artist Studio Tours are the event of the season, and they return this year to the charming streets and alleys of Old Town. For one afternoon, The Studios gives you an all-access pass to visit the workspaces of painters, fashion designers, sculptors, curators and printmakers.

The self-guided tour showcases the homes and studios of eight local and national artists, including local designer/ artist team Tracey and Alex Holst, the creative team behind Noble-Holst Design, as well as large-scale cityscape artist David Schofield. This year, a highlight of the tour is New York/ Key West artist Susan Sugar’s “Turtle House” which was called an “artist’s paradise,” by Coastal Living magazine.

The Artist Studio Tour will feature stops at artist’s studios such as David Schofield (drawing pictured above) and Susan Sugar, right.

The Studios’ Ashe Street Residency Cottages will also be included on the tour for the first time this year. Artistsin Residence include George Ciscle, a curator from Baltimore; Richard Cleaver, a sculpture artist from Baltimore; Jean Pederson, a mixed media artist from Canada; and Leigh Gallagher, a fiction writer from Detroit.

“The event offers a unique opportunity to duck into the lanes and gardens of Old Town, to experience the island art community in an intimate way, and help support the high quality of art in the Keys,” says Elena Devers, deputy director. “You’ll bump elbows with other art novices and art aficionados, watch studio demonstrations, and perhaps buy something unique for your home right from the source.”

LENA PERKINS / COURTESY PHOTO

Tickets are $25 and $20 and can be pre-purchased at www.tskw.org or by phone at 305-296-0458. Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the tour at Stop #1, 607 Ashe St., and Stop #4, 1423 Von Phister St. ¦